To judge the intelligence, attitude and mindset of a candidate, intelligent and competency based interview questions are almost always asked. These questions not only provide an idea on how an individual will perform on job but also help build an impression of his/her attitude towards work, life and people in general. As an employer, if you wish to screen some high performing candidates then competency-based interview questions are what you want. As for the candidates, the understanding that such questions test them with respect to their written and verbal efforts, listening skills, adaptability, contribution to the group and the art of negotiating and influencing etc. can really be a day-saver. Competency based interview questions are not too different from standard interview questions. They are really simple questions masquerading as confusing ones. It’s all about cracking the code here. In an interview built on competency based questions, the questions are mostly behavioural which explains why these questions are also called behaviour-based questions. Read on for some competency based interview questions.
Competent Interview Questions
Some classic examples of competent interview questions are:
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Describe a time when you used initiative to resolve a particularly difficult problem.
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Give an example of a time when you made a decision without having all the necessary information. What was the outcome?
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Give me an example of an important goal you achieved and how you achieved it.
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Describe the most difficult project you were involved with and the obstacles you overcame.
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Give me an example of a difficult situation you faced with an employee and explain how you solved it.
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Tell me about a time when you showed good leadership.
These are the following ways to bring out confidence while answering competency based interview questions:
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Use “I” while answering rather than using “We” so as to stress more upon yourself.
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Give a clear and detailed description of the problem, situation or task.
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Talk about the actions you would like to take.
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Target the result and describe it clearly using figures and data to illustrate the benefits.
Competency based interview questions are the best ways to reveal the behavioural aspects of an individual in a precise manner and target the following points:
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Your initiative to solve problems: The questions generally take you through a situation in which you will be required to solve a problem without being informed of the complete details.
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Your achievements: The interviewer may ask about an achievement which you consider very important, both professionally and personally speaking. If you think that there were two different achievements on both levels then speak about them at length and answer the questions honestly.
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The most difficult episode: The interviewer can also ask you about the most difficult situation that you have handled and how you got out of it. They may even want to know about the people you found difficult to deal with and why. The interviewer may also ask you whether your differences with the person/s were resolved in an amicable manner or not.
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Your leadership skills: The interviewer can ask you to state any example where you demonstrated your leadership qualities. This is the most commonly asked question.
The following are the best ways to answer the extremely significant and competent interview questions:
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Be extremely crisp, concise and to the point while answering the questions.
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Do not wander away from the question because wandering would imply that you are either distracted or inventing an answer.
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Make it a point to let the interviewer understand in detail the problems that you face or faced.
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Do not blame, crib or complain about anyone.
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Do not shy away from probing questions as long as they are professional and do not invade your privacy at any level.
With the growing competition day by day, the usage of such competent questions in the interviews has increased within all types of organizations. Every job can be described in terms of competencies, which are nothing but the skills, abilities and behaviours required for it. All you need to do is decide your priorities and shoot for the moon with the best possible answers.
